﻿306 
  JOURNAL 
  OF 
  THE 
  WASHINGTON 
  ACADEMY 
  OF 
  SCIENCES 
  VOL. 
  12, 
  NO. 
  13 
  

  

  but 
  red 
  was 
  considered 
  the 
  best, 
  as 
  it 
  could 
  be 
  burned 
  hardest. 
  The 
  

   clay 
  was 
  first 
  mixed 
  with 
  water, 
  only 
  enough 
  being 
  used 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  

   heavy 
  pasty 
  mass. 
  A 
  quantity 
  of 
  the 
  clay 
  was 
  then 
  pressed 
  over 
  

   some 
  smooth 
  round 
  object, 
  a 
  gourd 
  of 
  the 
  proper 
  size 
  being 
  preferred. 
  

   The 
  mold 
  was 
  then 
  removed 
  and 
  the 
  clay 
  carefully 
  worked 
  into 
  shape, 
  

   being 
  pressed, 
  expanded 
  and 
  thinned, 
  more 
  clay 
  being 
  added 
  as 
  neces- 
  

   sary, 
  and 
  the 
  whole 
  mass 
  gradually 
  assumed 
  the 
  desired 
  form. 
  The 
  

   vessel 
  was 
  allowed 
  to 
  dry 
  slowly 
  in 
  the 
  air. 
  The 
  surfaces 
  were 
  then 
  

   smoothed 
  by 
  scraping 
  with 
  a 
  shell 
  and 
  incised 
  decorations 
  were 
  added 
  

   if 
  desired. 
  Neither 
  crushed 
  shell 
  nor 
  sand 
  was 
  mixed 
  with 
  the 
  clay. 
  

   Tobacco 
  pipes 
  were 
  often 
  made 
  of 
  white 
  clay. 
  The 
  pipes 
  were 
  usually 
  

   covered 
  with 
  oil 
  or 
  grease 
  before 
  burning, 
  which 
  caused 
  them 
  to 
  turn 
  

   black. 
  After 
  burning, 
  they 
  were 
  polished. 
  Vessels 
  were 
  likewise 
  

   made 
  black, 
  and 
  with 
  use 
  acquired 
  a 
  high 
  polish. 
  

  

  The 
  method 
  of 
  burning 
  pottery 
  vessels 
  was 
  this: 
  a 
  hole 
  was 
  made 
  

   in 
  the 
  ground, 
  the 
  bottom 
  and 
  sides 
  of 
  which 
  were 
  covered 
  with 
  dry 
  

   grass 
  and 
  bits 
  of 
  bark 
  and 
  wood. 
  The 
  vessels, 
  thoroughly 
  dried, 
  were 
  

   then 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  hole 
  and 
  covered 
  with 
  similar 
  grass 
  and 
  bits 
  of 
  bark 
  

   and 
  wood. 
  This 
  was 
  ignited 
  and 
  lightly 
  covered 
  to 
  cause 
  it 
  to 
  burn 
  

   slowly. 
  When 
  the 
  fire 
  subsided 
  the 
  earthenware 
  was 
  sufficiently 
  

   burned. 
  

  

  Mortars 
  and 
  pestles. 
  — 
  Wooden 
  mortars 
  and 
  pestles 
  were 
  made 
  and 
  

   used 
  for 
  various 
  purposes, 
  especially 
  for 
  crushing 
  corn 
  and 
  preparing 
  

   file. 
  The 
  mortars 
  were 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  3 
  feet 
  high. 
  The 
  cavity 
  was 
  made 
  

   by 
  burning 
  the 
  wood 
  and 
  chopping 
  away 
  the 
  charred 
  particles. 
  When 
  

   of 
  the 
  desired 
  size 
  the 
  inner 
  surface 
  was 
  scraped 
  and 
  smoothed 
  and 
  all 
  

   the 
  burnt 
  wood 
  removed. 
  

  

  Baskets.— 
  Baskets 
  of 
  several 
  forms 
  were 
  made 
  of 
  split 
  cane. 
  Dyes 
  

   were 
  prepared 
  from 
  roots 
  and 
  barks, 
  but 
  my 
  informant 
  could 
  not 
  

   remember 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  the 
  roots. 
  

  

  Spoons.- 
  — 
  Spoons 
  were 
  made 
  of 
  cow 
  horns 
  and 
  were 
  used 
  extensively. 
  

   They 
  were 
  called 
  Moocond. 
  

  

  Needles.- 
  — 
  Needles 
  4 
  inches 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  length 
  were 
  made 
  of 
  dogwood, 
  

   or 
  other 
  woods 
  if 
  dogwood 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  obtained. 
  The 
  needles 
  were 
  

   very 
  sharp 
  pointed 
  and 
  perforated 
  to 
  receive 
  the 
  thread, 
  and 
  very 
  good 
  

   work 
  could 
  be 
  done 
  with 
  them. 
  

  

  Threads. 
  — 
  ^Threads 
  of 
  sinew 
  were 
  used 
  in 
  sewing 
  skins 
  and 
  for 
  other 
  

   purposes. 
  They 
  were 
  made 
  of 
  the 
  intestines 
  of 
  various 
  animals, 
  that 
  

   of 
  the 
  deer 
  being 
  preferred. 
  The 
  threads 
  and 
  larger 
  strands 
  were 
  often 
  

  

  